College ROI

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Tacoma Community College

Tacoma, WA 4,668 Undergrads 36.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$16,766
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$8,376
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,189
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$8,376
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$55,189
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$47,168
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate36.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age27.7
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients30.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time58.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS62.3%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$497k
+$30k
+$12k
Median Cost$8k/yr
+$466k
-$378
-$18k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$436k
-$31k
-$48k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
51
∞
Median Cost$8k/yr
Never
-59%
Full Cost$17k/yr
Never
-80%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-35%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-47%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
$8,617
Earnings (4yr)
$45,663
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
+$38k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,272
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,584
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Data Processing
CertCIP: 1103
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,061
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,211
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,865
Natl Median: $52,001
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$41,917
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,747
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,631
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,721
Natl Median: $47,660
Lifetime Value Added
-$10k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$76,531
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$279k
Median Debt
$13,094
Earnings (4yr)
$81,859
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$327k
Biology, General
AssocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,758
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$32,980
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Median Debt
$10,983
Earnings (4yr)
$65,130
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$177k
Computer Science
AssocCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$58,588
Natl Median: $54,971
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,477
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$47,504
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,180
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,758
Earnings (4yr)
$53,029
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
+$62k
Median Debt
$13,941
Earnings (4yr)
$53,304
Natl Median: $44,669
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Median Debt
$10,975
Earnings (4yr)
$48,647
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$74,727
Natl Median: $72,444
Lifetime Value Added
+$263k
Music
AssocCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,056
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physical Sciences, General
AssocCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,564
Natl Median: $49,076
Lifetime Value Added
+$160k
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (4yr)
$92,844
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$426k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.